IIPTERA. 
107 
ascend to the surface. The Sargus cuprarius (Plate IV., 
Fig. 14) is an insect of elegant shape and brilliant 
colouring; like the Soldier-flies, it inhabits flowers, 
bushes, etc., and is very fond of honey-dew ; the body 
is bright green tinged with copper, the abdomen brassy 
green or bluish purple. 
The Tabcinidcc frequent woods in the summer; the best 
known species being the T. bovinus and T. autumnalis 
(Fig. 10); they are most frequent in hot summer wea¬ 
ther ; the males are harmless and frequent flowers, but 
the females pierce the skin of quadrupeds and feed on 
their blood; the long footless larva lives in the earth 
and feeds on decomposing matter. Tabanns bovinus 
must not be confused with another Brachyceral-fly, viz., 
the Oestrus bovis } the female of which pierces the hides 
of cattle with her ovipositor, and lays therein her eggs. 
Tabanus bovinus passes through its metamorphosis 
under ground and not within the hides of cattle. It is, 
perhaps, the largest of the Dipterous insects, being 
nearly an inch long, and broad in proportion ; the body 
is dark brown, thorax with several grey stripes, the ab¬ 
domen has a row of whitish triangular spots. From the 
buzzing noise these flies make they have been called 
Breeze-flies. Sometimes they will attack men. Mr. Wood 
was once fiercely attacked by these Breeze-flies while 
rambling in the New Forset; their favourite point of 
attack was just behind the ear, into which they buried 
their sharp lancets, which pricked like sharp needles. 
On returning to his lodgings, after a few hours in the 
forest, he found the whole space behind his ears filled 
with clotted blood, his collar glued to his neck, and 
long tracks of blood running down his body and arms. 
